Neutrino Detectors: Catching Ghost Particles from Space

Neutrino detectors capture elusive particles called neutrinos, often nicknamed “ghost particles.”
Neutrinos rarely interact with matter—billions pass through your body every second unnoticed.
To catch them, detectors are built deep underground, underwater, or in ice to block other radiation.
The Super-Kamiokande detector in Japan uses a giant tank of ultra-pure water and sensitive light sensors.
IceCube, buried in Antarctic ice, is the world’s largest neutrino observatory.
Neutrinos carry information from supernovae, black holes, and even the early universe.
They can travel vast distances without being absorbed or scattered.
In 1987, neutrino detectors captured signals from a nearby supernova, confirming stellar collapse theories.
High-energy neutrinos traced back to a blazar in 2017 proved they can pinpoint cosmic accelerators.
Neutrino astronomy adds a new “messenger” to explore the most extreme cosmic events.